Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said it was against library policy for former library chair Al Maghnieh to even have a corporate credit card.

"The policy at the library is crystal clear. No one is to have a credit card on the board. For a chair to have a credit card is against policy. We don’t know why a credit card was issued against policy," Francis said. "He should never have had a credit card in the first place."

Francis said no board members of any city agency are issued corporate credit cards.

"I have never had a city credit card or an ERCA credit card or an [Federation of Canadian Municipalities] credit card or an Association of Municipalities of Ontario] credit card or any other board, agency or commission credit card," Coun. Percy Hatfield wrote CBC News in an email. "And I don’t know of any other Windsor city councillor who has one either."

'He should never have had a credit card in the first place.'— Mayor Eddie Francis

Maghnieh admitted to CBC News he made personal purchases on a library-issued credit card even though he knew it was against library policy.

Maghnieh said he was issued the card "in late November" and almost immediately began making personal and business purchases with the card.

Maghnieh said he was then "notified in mid-January of the policy" that prohibits personal purchases made on a library-issued credit card.

However, the Ward 10 councillor told CBC News he was still making personal purchases with the card in mid-March. Over the course of approximately four months, Maghnieh racked up $8,490 in expenses on the card. He said "a majority" of that money was spent on personal items.

Maghnieh claims his credit card balance was paid on a monthly basis.

"It was repaid all the time. All purchases were always paid, always in full," Maghnieh said.

Maghnieh resigned as library chair Saturday.

Mayor wants others to resign in wake of controversy

Francis is now calling on the library's audit and finance chair Alex Cameron to resign. Francis stopped short of calling for library CEO Barry Holmes to also resign.

"The audit chair, finance committee and CEO should have known better. They should never have allowed this type of behaviour to continue," Francis said.

Holmes declined comment Monday.

Maghnieh called his spending and decision making "foolish."

'I'm embarrassed'

On his Twitter profile, Maghnieh describes himself as an "amateur economist."

"I guess that's why I'm amateur," he said. "I'm embarrassed."

Maghnieh also has a corporate credit card issued to him by his current employer, the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, where he is strategic planning and communications administrator.

Maghnieh said he has never made personal purchases with that card.

School board director Paul Picard told CBC News that Maghnieh has never abused the board-issued card.

Maghnieh to 'lead by example'

Maghnieh had previously been critical of former acting library chair Andrew McAvoy, who was involved in a legal battle after he was accused of being in a conflict of interest when his company bid on a job to improve the library's website. McAvoy won the contract and it was later discovered the work was not done.

Maghnieh last year was also critical of firefighters using trucks for grocery runs.

"Is this within acceptable use of policies of the fire department?" Maghnieh asked at the time.

When asked if what he did with the library-issued credit was within policy, he said it was not.

"If you're going to be critical of others for not following policy, you have to lead by example," Maghnieh said Monday. "This will never, ever happen again."